Sunday Funday!!….for a few hours

Since Giacomo came into this world I’ve had little free time or riding time more to the point, so I was delighted to hear from Mr Gabriele Mazzarolo the owner of Alpinestars who had got the Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 to ride and a few hours spare on Sunday morning to test, ride and play on it.

The timing was perfect as I was just about to pick up the Ducati Diavel for my next video, a few hours of riding the Canyons would be a great way of getting to know this distinct looking beast while going out riding with Gabriele is always a joy as he just loves his motorcycles, rides great and has lots and lots of road riding experience from all over the world.

Before most of LA had got moving I was already at Alpinestars HQ, soon after Gabriele and I were out on different makes of Italian bikes and riding the relatively quiet LA roads, heading North to Malibu where we’d then take PCH and soon after turn off on one of the many canyon roads, which always seem to provide the rider with non-stop corners, unpredictable road surfaces, stunning views and are just a thrill to ride on whether you are going up or down on a motorcycle.

Gabriele’s choice of road was Latigo Canyon, a brilliant wiggly 8 mile stretch of road which has just about every type of corner you could think of in it and by the time you get to the top, you know a lot more about your motorcycle than you did before you rode it.

My first impression of the Diavel was one of shock, I’d surprisingly just been able to keep up with a much more sporty and nibble looking machine as I cruised, sat back like I was in an arm-chair, and rode relaxed, let the great suspension and powerful Ducati motor do all the work and pull me up the hillside, it was a fun time!

At the summit we switched bikes and rode on to the Rock Store for refreshments, moto-talk and also find out firsthand about Alpinestars 2012 gear and what goodies we can expect to see next year. It was great to hear about their unobtrusive base layers (under-gear) which helps us riders stay warm as we ride, something all bikers need to get us through the winter months.

I’m not sure about you but I hate riding and getting cold, I’ve done it more times that I can bare to think about, it makes me shiver just thinking about slowing going cold and numb as you grit your teeth and try and hang on for another few miles. In my opinion, the freezing cold can take all the fun out of riding motorbikes so learning that Alpinestars new base layers are ever improving and becoming more and more comfortable to ride with under your favorite gear without compromising its fit is fantastic news.

After coffee and moto-talk it was back on the twisty roads for more corning fun before Gabriele and I headed our separate ways and I chose the Highway to ride back as I wanted to get to know the Diavel in many different riding conditions as possible and the rammed full Highway was very different from that of the open and free feeling canyons I’d just been enjoying.

Even though it was crazy busy, in California and on a motorcycle you can still split lanes (go between the cars) as long as it’s done in a safe manor, so there were no stops or hold up’s for me, just a narrow lane to negotiate that the Ducati Diavel made light work of and made me become further impressed with this beautiful and rather unusual looking motorcycle.

It had only been a few short hours of riding but many corners had been ridden, the cobwebs had been well and truly blown off and I was starting to fall for another Ducati, dam those Italian’s….once home the strong pulsating motor still reverberated through my hands and finger tips, reminding me just how much fun I’d been having many hours after I’d finished the ride… TBC…